Dark Knight
by EvaAuthor
Summary: After the tragic accident, the Palais Garnier has been restored to it's former glory. Will the past events repeat themselves? Will the Count's daughter turn hate into forbidden love as she builds a relationship with a Dark Knight? And will this Knight be able to let go of his past?
1. Chapter 1: Palais Garnier

**Chapter 1**

Excitement surged though me as we entered the huge golden doors of the massive, elegant building. I never dreamt of a place as beautiful as the great Paris opera house, the Palais Garnier. The building was open for visitors since it reopened today for the first time in quite a few years. I was here with one of my close friends Angelique Labelle and her brother David. They may have been twins and looked the same but their personalities were completely different.

As we walked through the entrance I examined the large room. Golden candelabras, polished and glittering stood at every corner. Massive, marble staircases led to the upper levels of the opera house and to the offices.

"Have you ever seen anything as beautiful as this?" Angelique gasped as she too looked around in awe.

"Yes, that girl standing over there. She is quite the lady." David was staring at a young woman that was here with us on the tour. Angelique and I both laughed at him. No matter where or when, he would always be looking at the fine ladies.

"Now, ladies and gentlemen, we will be entering the auditorium and please try to remain as silent at possible. We are rehearsing." Said our tour guide.

More excitement flooded through me as I readied myself for the beauty of the rest of the opera house. Nothing prepared me for what I was about to see. Beyond the chairs that were used for performances were beautiful sculptures of gods and goddesses. They were so beautifully carved that they almost looked real. Higher up on the walls were golden angels and demons carved into the walls. They all carried different kinds of instruments. Some I did not even recognize. The most beautiful of all was the ceiling. It was painted like a clear summer sky with soft white clouds. Hanging in the middle was a massive crystal chandelier. It held thousands upon thousands of hand crafted crystals and jewels. It was all so breathtaking and I so dearly wanted to meet the talented artist who created all these masterpieces. Lastly was the stage. It was fairly large and the wood was waxed to perfection that it looked like a big mirror that everyone danced on. People were rushing about the stage to add the last few touches to the costumes or to paint one last backdrop. Props were moved to the right places and the orchestra was readying the instruments. I especially loved to watch the ballerinas go over their dance routine and twirl around in their white dresses. Al the colours that were fitted onto the costumes were bright and colourful. I could only imagine how long it took to make each and every one of them.

Out of nowhere there came a loud shriek and everyone stopped to see where the awful sound came from. It did not take long to see who it was for out of the crowd came the Prima Donna, Carlotta. I had heard a lot about the old soprano and I cannot say that it was all good things. Apparently the costume maker was pinning a piece of fabric on Carlotta's costume and accidentally pricked her with the needle. I pitied the poor woman and hoped she would not get into trouble. Well, at least not with the managers. No one could be saved from an angry, screaming Carlotta.

"I would have burst into tears if a crocodile turned into a human and screamed at me like that." Angelique whispered to me among the small group.

I tried to hold my giggle but failed miserably. Unfortunately it did not go unnoticed by Carlotta. It quickly grew silent in the auditorium and everyone waited in anticipation for what Carlotta wanted to say.

"You little br…" Carlotta started but was cut off by another voice.

"I see you have met my daughter." Came a voice from the back of the auditorium. Like one entity everyone turned to see who belonged to the voice. I smiled triumphantly as my father, Count Adam Bellerose, the owner of the opera house, made his way through the seats and to the stage. "Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please? I would like to introduce my daughter Emma Bellerose. She will be here to monitor the music and the ballet. You will be seeing much more of her." As everyone clapped I turned to my father in shock. "Surprise darling, I knew you would be the perfect one for the assignment. You love music and dancing."

"Yes father but I cannot manage it!" I harshly whispered into his ear.

"You will do just fine." He then turned to the stage and loudly stated. "Now, Carry on!"

He gestured for me to follow him and I quickly said a goodbye to Angelique and David before I caught up to him.

"Now listen, I want you to meet someone. He is the one who designed most of the opera house and he composes all the music for the productions. He is very talented in what he does and I believe you two will do great together."

I stopped in the hallway and turned to him. "Are you mad? I cannot work with someone who knows music. I only play at home, not for opera's!"

"Calm down Emma, you will do great, I want you to know more about music, that is why I need you to learn from him." He said reassuringly.

With a loud sigh I reluctantly agreed and we continued towards my father's office.

Before we entered the large room, my father reminded me to be polite and to stand up straight and told me to remember to be a lady. I rolled my eyes and followed him through the doors. The stranger was impossibly tall. I quickly decided that I would hardly reach his shoulder. He was dressed in a very fine, expensive suit that was coal black. Everything he was dressed in seemed to be black. Even his hair was as dark as ink. Most of it was combed back but a few stray strands made their way over his face. But as I examined his face, there was not much to see. The left side of his face was very handsome, he had a smooth, strong jaw with perfect cheekbones. His lips were a perfect full size that was set in a small smile. His eyes were interesting. His irises were set between a gray, blue colour. It was almost like a cloudy sky just after a rain. The right side of his face was covered with a mask that seemed to be made of ivory, but I was not sure. It had a static look which made it difficult to read his expression, but his eyes told me everything. They were empty, sad and lost. They definitely did not match his smile.

The most strange thing about him was his voice. I listened as he greeted my father and when he spoke, it sounded like an angel. It was deep, yet as soft as velvet at the same time. Most of all, it was very soothing, I decided that it could possibly be the most beautiful sound on earth. I was quickly snapped out of the trance that I was in when my father spoke to me.

"Emma, I would like you to meet Count Erik Chevalier."


	2. Chapter 2: Erik Chevalier

**Sorry for not updating in a while. I have been a little busy. Well, here is Chapter 2. **

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><p><span><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

Erik Chevalier. For no reason in particular, I smiled at the sound of his name. Erik, Yes I definitely took a liking to it. I watched as he gracefully gave a slight bow and took my extended hand, giving it a feather light kiss. When his lips made contact with my skin, a strange jolt flowed through me. I was so shocked at this unfamiliar feeling that I was at a loss for words. Monsieur Chevalier looked at me almost expectantly as I struggled to form a coherent sentence.

"I-I-It is an h-honor to meet you monsieur C-chevalier." I quickly curtsied and tipped my head down to hide my crimson cheeks but to no avail. I could see a smirk spread across the Count's face, which made me blush even more.

"Well, now that you two have met, I would love to have a word with the Count in private, if you do not mind Emma?" My father motioned me to the door with his eyes and I knew that I did not have much of a choice. I actually needed to get back to Angelique, she would start to worry soon. I quickly excused myself and then I was off to search for the twins.

"Emma! Where were you? Angelique cried when she saw me enter.

"Carlotta lost her temper about three times and yelled at this poor little girl, making her burst into tears and then she ran off the stage and…" She paused and took a deep breath before continuing. "And she left." When she finally ended her speech she looked quite satisfied with herself.

"What?! Who left? The dancer?" If the dancer left, everything will fall apart. Every role is so very important. Even a dancer's role.

"No. No, no, no. Carlotta!" Angelique did not look a bit concerned, but inside, I was panicking. I was very new to the opera business, but even I understood that this was not good. My father has spent weeks preparing the cast for the performance that was just three weeks away. Three weeks! Who will sing in Carlotta's place? Does she have an understudy? I doubted it. As I turned towards the stage, I could see, for the first time, that everyone was in an uproar. Monsieur Reyer, the conductor, was just about ready to pull out all of his grey hair.

"What are we going to do? There is no understudy for La Carlotta!" The poor man seemed so desperate and I wished there was something I could have done, but what? Would we find someone to sing for her in time?

"What is going on here? Why are you not rehearsing?!" My father shouted as he entered the auditorium. The Count had not entered much later than he did.

"Monsieur! We are finished!" Reyer lamented at his wits end. The Primma Donna has had it with us! She lost her temper, again, and left. Just like that Monsieur! What are we going to do?" Poor Reyer. He was an old man and I was worried that he would collapse from all that has been going on. My father though, looked furious. He often said that Carlotta gave him problems and that she threatened to leave the opera house, but he never thought that she would actually do it. He was silent for a few minutes. Probably trying to solve the problem but seemed to be out of ideas. Until his eyes landed on me. A big smile grew on his face and I knew exactly what he was going to say. I hoped that I was wrong.

"My darling Emma could sing the part." Unfortunately for me, I had been correct. Now you see, when I was much younger and when my mother was still alive, she insisted that I take music lessons. I have trained for many years but after she passed, I lost my passion for singing. I honestly did not know how my father thought me fit to sing in the place of the Prima Donna!

"Yes, yes, yes. You would be perfect for the role. You have sung for years." My father said proudly. Thought his last statement seemed to have interested Count Chevalier. He leaned forward and lifted his hand to his chin as if in thought.

"Adam, would you mind if Emma sang for us a piece of the song, just to see how talented she truly is? The Count asked my father in a low voice.

I stared at the two men in horror. Had they gone mad?! Carlotta has had years of experience and I merely took lessons… when I was ten! I could not see how this could solve the situation.

"Monsieur, the last time I really sang was when I was still a child. I doubt that I could match the talent of Carlotta." I calmly explained to the Count. Every word I said was true, I could not sing.

"Emma please, thousands of people want to see the first performance of the season. We are counting on you to save us." My father almost looked desperate at that moment. It was not often that my father asked much of me and when he did, he did so with the best intentions. I had to trust his judgment and hope he knew what he was talking about.

"Alright, I will try. But, don't expect too much of me." I said to both gentleman and the rest of the cast. A wide smile was suddenly visible on my father's face, a real smile. How could I resist pleasing my father?

Monsieur Reyer quickly grabbed a white paper and handed it to me. It was the sheet music for the song that I was to sing. As I read through it I realized that it was not a new piece. I have listened to it quite a few times and knew the words. I sighed in relief. That made a few things much more easier for me. Everyone quickly grew silent as I made my way to the middle of the stage. The view of the auditorium was very different from the stage. All of the boxes above could be seen. Hundreds of gold and silver statues were decorated all around the ceiling and above the boxes. It was even more beautiful from the stage than from the floor. I grew nervous as the first notes of the song was played. I took a deep breath and started to sing. The first couple times, I missed my cue and had to start over. The third time around was perfect. With the years, my voice has changed a lot and it sounded much better than the little girl's voice I once had. I sang as best I could and from the great applause that followed after the song, I was satisfied with how I had done. My father was cheering with the crowd and seemed overjoyed, the Count was only clapping mildly but he had a smile on his face that made me feel like the best singer in the world. He looked a bit surprised, but also satisfied. "You see my dear, I told you that you would do good. I am very proud of you." My father had made his way up to the stage and gave me a hug. I smiled as he walked about cheerily, eagerly discussing the changes with the costume makers. I walked towards where Angelique stood and laughed as she ranted about how jealous she was of me. I scanned the room in search of David but could not see him.

"Where has your brother run off to?" I asked Angelique and watched as she also looked around. She turned to me and sighed.

"Well, I do not see that girl he spoke about earlier so I guess he is somewhere with her. I swear that I have seen him with at least fourteen different girls this month alone! I fear he will never settle down and get married, but father is determined to find him a wife. The poor boy, he has no idea what is in store for him." I laughed as she joked about her brother but turned serious when she spoke about the marriage arrangement.

"Your father is arranging a marriage for David? Do you think he will comply?" I asked. I was a little bit shocked. Angelique's father could be a bit strict with his son but I never thought he would do such a thing.

"Unfortunately it is so. Father has talked about it for a while now but I guess it is final now. Shh! Here he comes." She quickly whispered into my ear. I turned towards where she pointed and saw David entering the auditorium. His sandy hair was ruffled and looked impossible to tame. His clothes were also wrinkled and somewhat out of place. A few minutes later the girl he had pointed out earlier also entered in the same dishevelled state as him. Angelique giggled as we thought of what her brother had been up to the past hour. I saw my father put on his top hat and gloves as he walked towards us.

"Come Emma. It I time for us to return to the estate. I still have some paperwork to do." He said goodbye to Angelique and David and told me to be in the carriage within five minutes. I said goodbye my friends and was just about to leave when someone spoke my name. I turned to see Count Chevalier. He stood up straight with his hands behind his back. His face set in a serious expression.

"Mademoiselle, I would like to congratulate you on your role as Prima Donna" He said seriously. Again his voice was like nothing I have ever heard before.

"Thank you monsieur, but it is only for one performance." I replied, but something was off. He had a dangerous look in his eye.

"Well then, Leading Lady for a short while but please, call me Erik." Those words were so simple yet seemed to hold so much meaning.

"Then I insist you call me Emma, it is only fair." I smiled at him but still that look did not fade away. I heard my father calling and quickly said a goodbye to Erik.

"Till we meet again, Emma." As he spoke my name, a cold chill travelled down my spine. I stopped to look at him but heard my father call for me again. I rushed to the carriage before it was necessary for my father to come looking for me.

The ride home was quite short. Dinner was quiet as usual and I was left on my own when Father went off to his study. But that night, my dreams were filled with visions of a white mask and a pair of piercing blue eyes that gazed out from behind it.

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><p><strong>I hope you enjoyed it! Till next time!<strong>


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